This post is based primarily on
Don's notes, occasionally supplemented with MT's notes from our Camino in 2016.
When information from other sources is added—for further explanation to readers
or to satisfy our own curiosity—that is set off in a text box (as this one).
Most of the photos that accompany
this post are from Don’s camera (with a caption indicating the time it was
taken); those from MT’s iPhone are indicated by “MT” placed at the beginning of
the photo caption. Photos from any other source (such as the public domain
Wikimedia Commons) indicate that source in the caption.
Alvaiázere: carimbo stamp from “Restaurate Residencial O Brás, 3250-114 Alvaiázere,
Tel. 236 655 405.”
Saturday, September 3, 2016, 8:24 AM - Alvaiázere: Pensão Residencial O Brás –
exterior.
8:24 AM (Cropped) - Alvaiázere: Pensão Residencial
O Brás – right end of exterior, with steps reading up to the entrance to the
Residencial part and a sign painted on the corner (see red circle) pointing to
“THE DOORBELL” back to left by the Restaurant entrance.
8:24 AM - Alvaiázere: Restaurante O Brás –
exterior, with misleading yellow arrow by doorbell.
8:24 AM (Cropped) - Alvaiázere: Restaurante O Brás
– exterior, with another arrow pointing directly at “THE DOORBELL CAMPAINHA”
(in red circle). Also in the red circle is a blue sign with the scallop shell
Camino symbol, below which was a yellow arrow pointing to the right;
unfortunately, that yellow arrow pointed the way to the stairs leading to the
rooms and not in the direction of the Camino route.
We
departed at 8:30 am, but it took a while to find where to get on the Camino
route. Although a man told us we could go straight on the street where O Brás
was located to go to Ansião, we finally went back down (left) to the main
street where the bus had left us and picked up the yellow arrows there.
9:08 AM – Laranjeiras: red-bark tree at far
end of town (we had no photo of sign entering town; perhaps there was none).
9:23 AM – Past Laranjeiras: eucalyptus trees
at road intersection; a careful look would spy the Camino marker and yellow
arrow on the other side.
9:23 AM (Cropped) – Past Laranjeiras:
eucalyptus trees and Camino marker and yellow arrow on the other side road
intersection.
9:23 AM – Vendas: sign entering town, possibly
with yellow arrow(?).
MT 9:31 AM – Vendas: Don pointing to
(possible) yellow arrow on sign entering
town.
9:32 AM – Vendas: fountain with painting of young
John the Baptist.
9:32 AM – Vendas: painting on tiles of young
John the Baptist (São João Baptista) on fountain (telephoto, 133 mm).
9:44 AM – After Vendas: another roadside
shrine with picture of young John the Baptist.
9:44 AM – After Vendas: picture of young
John the Baptist (S. João) on tiles of roadside shrine (close-up).
9:49 AM – After Vendas: MT on paved road;
mountains in distance.
We
often had trouble following the arrows after we got off roads into wooded paths,
but we sometimes had to backtrack to an intersection to check on ambiguous
arrows.
9:56 AM – After Vendas: Camino sign where we
turned right onto gravel road.
10:06 AM – Pousaflores: street sign, in
Municipality of Ansião.
Don’s
wristwatch stopped working in the morning.
10:35 AM – After Pousaflores: MT on path
between stone walls.
MT 10:42 AM – After Pousaflores: Don on path
through woods, with stone wall.
10:40 AM – After Pousaflores: path getting
narrower, through woods.
10:46 AM – After Pousaflores: very faint
yellow arrows, on edge of asphalt and on sign post, for right turn off road onto gravel path, which soon became
dirt.
10:46 AM – After Pousaflores: where gravel
path became dirt and narrower.
10:47 AM – After Pousaflores: where dirt
path became narrower.
10:54 AM – After Pousaflores: Then there was
another rocky path between stone walls.
11:11 AM – Near Ansião: signpost by path –
45 min to Ansião on foot, 25 min by bike.
11:34 AM – Empeados: looking back for sign
with name of small town.
11:35 AM – Near Ansião: MT with sign for
entering Ansião (but we were still far from the actual town) and spray-painted yellow
arrow pointing left.
11:36 AM – Near Ansião: Don with same sign
and pointing to sign and yellow arrow.
When
we finally came to a paved road with a sign for entering Ansião (but still not in the town) and took photos there, we
thought the painted yellow arrow meant to follow the paved road (to the left as
we came to the intersection). But then, on the other side of the road, Don saw
two painted arrows pointing down left from the road onto a wooded dirt path,
which led us into town with more yellow arrows.
11:39 AM – Near Ansião: More wooded path on
way into town.
Ansião is a vila (small town) in the concelho municipality (pop. 13,000) of
the same name. It has been occupied since prehistoric times, as evidenced by
stone axes found there. There are also vestiges of settlements in Roman times
(mosaics, coins, columns, etc.) and traces of Arabic culture.
The town received its first charter
in 1142, under the condition that its inhabitants cultivate the land and defend
themselves from enemies. At that time, the concelho
suffered a strong colonization, and the defensive system was extended. It was
first mentioned in official documents in 1175, as “Ansiom.” However, it was
during the reign of King Manuel I (ruled 1469-1521) that Ansião received its
second charter in 1514 and a time of prosperity began, which culminated when
King Afonso VI (ruled 1643-1683) elevated it to the category of vila after the Portuguese Restoration.
Later, King Pedro II (ruled 1648-1706) donated it to Dom Luis Meneses, Count of
Ericeira.
The vila was substantially destroyed during the invasions of the French
in the early 19th century. The Municipality of Ansião saw a constant increase
in population between 1864 and the mid-1930s, when its decline became evident.
However, in the mid-1960s, there was a small increase in population, probably
due to the return of people from the former Portuguese colonies. Since then,
there has been a continuous decrease.
We
arrived at Pensão Residencial Adega Típica (the name means typical wine cellar) at 12:30 pm. The owner greeted
us at the door and said our backpacks were already in our room (101). We got carimbos and asked about mass times. We
had stopped at the (open) church on the way to the pensão, and the posted schedule (for the next week) showed vespers
at 8:30 pm Saturday and mass at 8:30 am and 10:30 am on Sunday. He confirmed
that but said there was actually mass
at 8:30 pm Saturday.
There
was some confusion about eating lunch or dinner (either included). Originally,
he thought we were just on our own, but when MT showed him our voucher, he
agreed to make lunch (fish) for us at 2 pm in the adjoining restaurant, which
had a sign saying it was closed for vacation.
Ansião: carimbo stamp from “Caminhos de
Santiago Compostela, Adega Típica de Ansião/Coimbra. Residencial e Restaurante,
Tel. 236 677 364. reservas@adegatipicadeansiao.com,
f [facebook] adegatipicadeansiao.com.”
Carlos,
the owner, and his brother João both spoke Italian, and a sign outside the
(closed) restaurant also said “Gelateria.”
1:52 PM – Ansião: Adega Típica – large bowl
from which we served our own soup (2 bowls each).
2:12 PM – Ansião: Adega Típica – 1/3 of the cherne and potatoes (we each had 1/3
from the large serving platter and then finished the fish).
2:34 PM – Ansião: Adega Típica – Carlos, MT,
and João with gelatos.
MT 2:42 PM – Ansião: Adega Típica – Don,
Carlos, MT, and João.
2:36 PM – Ansião: Adega Típica – our gelatos
(3 flavors).
After
lunch, Don took a brief tour of the town.
3:33 PM – Ansião: Adega Típica exterior
(pensão entrance at far end).
3:44 PM – Ansião: Adega Típica – signs at end
of awning.
3:33 PM – Ansião: Adega Típica exterior –
(left to right) Residencial, Café, and Gelateria.
3:33 PM – Ansião: Adega sign in window about
restaurant being closed; English translation:
We
inform our esteemed clients that we will be closed on the dates
03 September to 11 September of 2016.
We will reopen on 12 September, (Monday).
Thanks for your understanding
3:34 PM – Ansião: pelourinho (pillory) in front of Junta de Freguesia de Ansião
(Council of the Municipality of Ansião).
The Pelourinho de Ansião (Pillory of Ansião) was erected in 1686, to mark
the donation of the town by King Pedro II to Dom Luis de Meneses, 3rd Count of
Ericeira and a General of the Artillery, as a reward for his services during
the Portuguese War of Restoration (1640-1668). Therefore, it was originally
placed in front of the stately residence of the Counts of Ericeira, which today
serves as the Câmara Municipal (Town Hall).
The pillory has engraved on the
upper part of its shaft an inscription: “MERCEDE CO/PARATA MERI/TIS OB INCLI/TA
BELLO ET PA/CE GEST AD/LVDVVICO M/ENESIO COMI/ TE ERICÆIRÆ I686” (mercy
granted, by virtue of merit achieved, both in war and peace, to Dom Luis de
Meneses, Count of Ericeira 1686). Above this inscription, on a square section at
the top of the octagonal shaft, is the coat of arms of the Count of Ericeira.
At the beginning of the 20th
century, the pillory was repaired and moved from that place to where it is
today, in front of the Junta de Freguesia (Parish Council) building. That
place, renamed Largo do Pelourinho (Square of the Pillory) in 1902, is at the
confluence of three busy streets, near the Fundo da Rua. The base of the
pillory was originally supported on three stone steps but, when the top step
deteriorated, it was replaced by eight stone balls, representing the number of freguesias (civil parishes) in the concelho (municipality) since 1898.
In Portugal a pelourinho served much the same purpose a
rollo de justicia (pillar of justice)
in Spain.
3:34 PM – Ansião: other side of pelourinho (pillory) with Junta de
Freguesia de Ansião (Council of the Municipality of Ansião) behind it.
3:41 PM – Ansião: azulejo tile picture on outside wall of a store; the caption in
Portuguese: “Rainha Santa dando esmola a um ansião” (Queen Saint [Isabel] giving
alms to an old man); the panel was apparently emplaced by the “C.M.A.” (Concelho
Municipal Ansião = Council of the Municipality of Ansião) in “1937.” The town
takes its name from this old man (ansião
in Portuguese).
Rainha
Santa Isabel [Saint Elizabeth of Portugal] (1271-1336) was known for her
great compassion for the poor. Legend says that she would leave the palace
disguised, in order to take food to the poor.
The tile panel of the Rainha
Santa (Holy Queen) is located in an area of intense social life, known locally
as Fundo da Rua. It was commissioned by Virgilio Rodrigues Valente in 1937. It
alludes to the popular legend according to which the Holy Queen, when traveling
by the estrada real (royal road) that
crossed these lands, often gave alms to an old man, and referred to this region
as the “terras do Ansião” (Lands of the Old Man). The panel is bordered by
masonry and includes in itself an old municipal fountain.
3:47 PM - Ansião: Capela Mortuária de Ansião
(Funeral Chapel of Ansião), where visitation for the recently deceased João
Eduardo Santos Valente (1959-2016) was being held.
The website www.descubra-ansiao.com identifies
this chapel as Capela da Santa Casa da Misericórdia de Ansião (Chapel of the
Holy House of Mercy of Ansião), saying that it is located in the heart of the
village, adjacent to the former palace of the 3rd Count of Ericeira, which
today functions as the Câmara Municipal (Town Hall). The chapel began as a
private chapel of the Count, in the second half of the 17th century. In 1702,
it underwent a thorough rebuilding, as attested by a plaque inside. For
centuries, there was a mass on the mornings all Sunday and Holy Days, because
its door was passed by the estrada real
(royal road) that took many travelers from the north to the south of the
country.
3:47 PM - Ansião: Câmara Municipal (Town Hall).
3:48 PM - Ansião: church [the death notice by
the door said “Igreja Matriz”].
The Igreja Matriz de Ansião is
also (more formally) known as Igreja Paroquial do Concepção (Paroquial Church
of the Conception), Igreja de Nossa Senhora do Concepção (Church of Our Lady of
the Conception), just Igreja Paroquial de Ansião (Parish Church of Ansião).
The present church, in the
Mannerist style, dates from the end of the 16th century—more precisely 1593,
which is the date inscribed on the Baroque main door. However, everything
indicates that further to the west there would have been a primitive Igreja
Matriz, still remembered today by the local name “Igreja Velha” (Old Church) in
the area of the former textile factory.
The current church, in the center
of the village, has a simple façade with a stone statue of Nossa Senhora da
Conceição (Our Lady of the Conception), the patroness of the parish. The church
and its bell tower have undergone restoration work over the centuries. In the
second half of the 20th century, the façade and tower were remodeled and other
annexes were added. The current clock, with four dials (one on each side of the
tower), from 1957, replaced a much older one.
Inside, three naves are divided by
five arches in masonry that rest on Tuscan columns, with a wooden floor. The capela-mor (chancel or main chapel),
separated from the central nave by an arch, has a stone floor and a vaulted,
stone coffered ceiling. The main altarpiece, dedicated to Our Lady of the Conception,
is contemporary (modern). Until the mid-20th century, the main chapel was lined
with blue and white Hispano-Arabic (azulejo)
tiles, probably from the 16th century. At the head of each of the side aisles,
there are altars, of later origin, with gilded carving.
On the left side of the church,
near the entrance, there is the baptistery in a small chapel with a
16th-century baptismal font.
3:48 PM - Ansião: death notice poster outside
church door (and also outside the funeral chapel) for João Eduardo Santos
Valente (1959-2016) – says the body can be found in the Câmara Ardente (ardent
chamber) in the Capela Mortuária de Ansião, from which it will be moved on
Sunday, September 4, 2016 at 17:00 to the Igreja Matriz, where the funeral
ceremonies will be celebrated.
3:49 PM - Ansião: Igreja Matriz – view from
rear of nave to apse (it was dark, but no flash).
3:50 PM - Ansião: Igreja Matriz – baptismal
font in side room with azulejo tiles.
3:51 PM - Ansião: Igreja Matriz – slots in azulejo tile wall, near Madonna statue
at left front of nave, for “Esmolas” (alms [or possibly donations]) for “S.
Coração” (Sacred Heart), “N. Senhora” (Our Lady), “S. Sacramento” (Holy
Sacrament), and “Almas” (alms).
3:54 PM - Ansião: Igreja Matriz – part of poster
near door about a mass to celebrate a priest’s 30th anniversary of ordination
in “Igreja Paroquial de Ansião” (Parish Church of Ansião); says there is
registration for lunch at Adega Típica de Ansião.
Ladies
cleaning at the pensão Adega Típica had
also told us there was a mass at 8:30 pm at the church, which they called
“Neustra Senhora do Concepção” (Our Lady of the Conception), apparently another
name for the Igreja Matriz.
After
mass, we got carimbos from the
priest; the stamp said “Igreja Paroquial da Concepção – Diocese de Coimbra”
(Paroquial Church of the Conception – Diocese of Coimbra). Apparently, this was
the official name of the church.
Ansião: faint carimbo stamp from “Igreja Paroquial da Concepção – Diocese de
Coimbra.”
9:20 PM - Ansião: Igreja Matriz – view from
rear of nave to apse (still lighted after mass).
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